The present application relates generally to the field of safety systems to protect occupants of motor vehicles. More specifically, this application relates to an occupant safety system for displacing a seat system and the seated occupant to provide improved protection by increasing the clearance between the occupant and forward positioned vehicle components, such as a dashboard or instrument panel.
Vehicle safety standards are periodically changed to encourage vehicle manufacturers to incorporate innovative features to reduce injuries caused by vehicle accidents. Occupant injuries may occur from frontal vehicle collisions with relative small cross-sectional fixed objects, such as telephone poles or trees, whereby the fixed object often will substantially deform the location of impact causing the engine to displace in the rearward direction towards the passenger compartment. The engine may be displaced far enough to intrude into the firewall, driving the dashboard or the instrument panel in the rearward direction towards the occupant in the vehicle passenger compartment. This dashboard (or instrument panel) intrusion may cause injuries to occupants, and specifically to the lower limb (i.e., the portion of a human from the hip to the foot).
One solution to reduce occupant injury resulting from the dashboard or instrument panel intrusion, during such vehicle collisions, is to reduce the deformation of the vehicle local to the impact to reduce the rearward displacement of the engine, which causes the front of the dashboard and instrument panel to move in the direction of the occupant. One method to reduce deformation of the vehicle local to impact is to increase the stiffness of the vehicle, such as the frame and the structure supporting the engine. One problem with increasing vehicle stiffness is there is a corresponding decrease in the ability of the vehicle to absorb impact energy, which has a negative impact on occupant safety. As the ability of the vehicle to absorb impact energy decreases, then this energy transfers through the vehicle and to the occupant, increasing the forces required to restrain the occupant. Also, increasing vehicle stiffness may increase vehicle mass, which could reduce fuel economy and vehicle efficiency.
It would be advantageous to reduce vehicle occupant injuries caused by rearward displacements of vehicle components (e.g., dashboards and instrument panels), while having a minimal impact on the overall mass and optimal stiffness of the vehicle to avoid compromising vehicle crash-worthiness.